Palm Coast residents take flooding concerns to city leaders, cite new home construction

PALM COAST, Fla. - Palm Coast city leaders are addressing concerns raised by residents over flooding they say is the result of nearby home construction.

Neighbors on Birchwood Drive are experiencing flooding issues they believe are caused by newly constructed homes at slightly higher elevations than existing homes.

Mara Wuerth's home is one of several throughout the city that sits lower than the home next to it. In her case, the neighboring house is still under construction. She said she knew something was off as they began to lay the foundation.

"I was really worried," she told FOX 35 News. "I had never seen it this high and so it alarmed me!"

RELATED: Palm Coast residents raise flooding concerns following new home construction

There is no maximum height for "finished floor elevation" in Palm Coast. This means a home could sit as high as the owner or builder wants.

The city's stormwater team has been looking at adding a maximum height – a change Vice Mayor Ed Danko said is well overdue.

"It almost looks like it’s surrounded by a moat. That you could fill it with water and put a drawbridge across it," he said. "This is something that should’ve been done a long while ago."

Progress has been made on the home next to Wuerth's property, even though it may be too late for her, but she's hopeful the change could help protect other homes down the line.

"Even if maybe I don't directly benefit from this… maybe the other resident, you know, will," she added.

The city tells FOX 35 News it is working with the Flagler County Home Builders Association to iron out details. However, there is no timeline for any changes just yet.